A disturbing picture is emerging from Uganda’s latest crime data, with Mukono District and Luweero District flagged as the country’s leading hotspots for aggravated defilement, while Busia District tops the list for child-related crimes, raising fresh concern over the safety of children despite an overall drop in reported cases.

According to the Annual Police Crime Report 2025, Mukono Division and Luweero District each recorded 72 aggravated defilement cases, the highest in the country. They are followed by Mpigi District with 61 cases, while Kayunga District, Mubende District, and Isingiro District each registered 51 cases.

In child-related crimes, Busia leads with 282 cases, followed by Mityana District (273), Jinja District (219), and Old Kampala Division (212). These figures point to persistent protection gaps in specific districts, even as national trends show improvement.

The report indicates a 12.6 percent drop in sex-related offences, from 14,425 cases in 2024 to 12,606 in 2025, and a 14.3 percent decline in child-related crimes, from 9,408 to 8,064 cases. However, the concentration of cases in certain districts suggests that while overall numbers are falling, the problem remains acute in key areas.

Defilement remains the most prevalent offence, accounting for 10,492 cases, with the majority of victims being female juveniles aged between 15 and 17 years.

Rape cases, however, recorded a slight increase of 0.5 percent to 1,675 cases, with urban divisions such as Katwe Division and Kawempe Division registering the highest numbers.

Despite the reported decline, the justice system continues to face challenges, with thousands of cases still pending in courts or under police investigation and only a small proportion resulting in convictions.

Police attribute the overall reduction to enhanced operations, community policing, and public awareness campaigns, but acknowledge the need for more targeted interventions in high-burden districts.

Authorities say efforts are now focused on strengthening child protection mechanisms, increasing surveillance in identified hotspots, and improving coordination with communities and local leaders.

They have also pledged to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences, improve evidence handling, and reduce case backlogs to ensure justice for victims.